jediknight7

i need some help with my Air Conditioning system. if your reading this and want to flame me and tell me to just pull it then leave. i want to pull it but only if it doesn't work, only speak if you have some helpful info please.

when i turn it on the engine revs to 1100, but it doesn't blow cold. it doesn't smell like A/C, the temp coming out doesn't change at all. it has at least some refridgerant in it cuz i got some to spray out when i pressed the fill plug thingy. i think there is just a lost connection between the button and the compressor, and since i just repaired the ligicon recently where would it plug into the compressor, its dark now so i cant really get a good enough look. does it even have an electrical plug or does it turn on by some other method? any help is appriciated

Mint87RX7

when you turn you heat slider all the way cold does it stop puting out heat? or can you hear the little motor turning without the car running?
i have to run a jumper to get mine to go from cold to hot, maybe yours is reverse?

jediknight7

yes it stops putting out heat. what i do is i put it on cold, turn the fan all the way up, and then hit the ac button. nothing happens except the engine revs higher

Icemark

sounds like insufficent referigerant... do you see any bubbles in the condensor sight window???

jediknight7

i didn't see anything in the window, whether it was running or not, but my guess is that the compressor isn't even engaging.

Icemark

If there is no refrigerant then the ECU won't turn the compressor on

jediknight7

well, i pressed the pin in on the add valve, and stuff (refrigerant im assuming)came out

NZConvertible

Here's how to check the refrigerant level. During a drive turn the A/C on about five minutes before you get home. When you get there, leave the engine running and pop the hood. First make sure the compressor is engaging and disengaging regularly. If it's not, there's probably no gas at all (see below). If it is, look at the site glass on top of the receiver (silver canister under the plastic cover in front of the radiator). If you see bubbles, you're low on gas. If you don't, then gas is okay.

If the compressor is not engaging at all, unplug the pressure switch on the hard line next to the receiver. Put a jumper wire across the plug's terminals (this simulates sufficient pressure) and the compressor should immediately engage. If it does, it proves the problem is that you have no gas at all. If it still doesn't work, the problem is more serious.

inflatablepets

There probably isn't enough refrigrerant in the system. Icemark can tell you more about Freeze 12. I'd evacuate the system and convert it. Pending the fact that the compressor works. I will not have a car without A/C.

jediknight7

well, i jumpered the sensor, and the rpm's raised, and i heard a click which im assuming is the relay, but i still dont think the compressor clutch is engaging. i do however think the refrigerant is low so i will try adding that next. how much does a can of refrigerant go for?

Audiofight

if your car is still running the original R12 refrigerant.....good luck getting some without giving up your first born.

If you or someone else converted it to any other refrigerant, then you are looking at $6 or more.

I converted mine to 134a two years ago and it is holding strong and is nice and cold. I am very happy with my $35 retro-fit kit.

I will second everyone is saying that the compressor will not engage when it is low or out of refrigerant. Just because some is in the line doesn't necessarily mean it has enough.

NZConvertible

Did you look at it to see if it started spinning? By the sound if it that test proved you have no gas.

GTUser

I had the same problem for years and just assumed that the AC system lost refrigerant before I bought it since it had sat under a tree for over a year without running. I didn't even check it just made an assumption. Well one of the FC owners in our Rotary group said it might just be the AC relay that is bad. He jumpered it and the relay clicked and the compressor turned on when the fan was turned on. I went to a local Auto Retirement Yard and found several replacement relays from late 80s Hondas, same part number, shape, and contact terminal arrangements as the Mazda relay. My AC started blowing cold with the new relay and the same guy also tested my AC system and said it still had a full charge of freon, no need to recharge the system. It has run great for over a year with the relay replaced.

The A/C relay is at the front of the engine bay. Depending on your model there maybe several relays on the front support. If you're standing in front of the car it will be the rectangular relay to the left of the drivers side headlight. Use the FSM trouble shooting process to check the relay and jumper it properly, www.iluvmyrx7.com and then choose the correct manual for your car.

jhammons01

Go to any auto parts store or even Walmart and buy the R134a retro fit kit with guages for about $40. Read the directions, Repeat.

You may want to search the archives or all threads on this subject as the gas I told you to buy is controversial for various reasons, you need to make your own decision. There are numourous threads on this subjec that all seem to be started in June of last Summer, HHHhhmmmm Odd time (LOL) My research shows that if you evacuate all the old R12 out of the system the R-134A works just fine. These reasons are in the threads so do some research and find out why I say that.
Now here come the controversial rebuttles, Ha!!

Innovation

iTrader: (1)

The refrigerant oil's are not compatable. You can't just simply evac the system and then charge with 134a. You have to flush the system and put in the correct oil.

jhammons01

See?? I saw the rebuttles coming b4 I hit the post button. There will be more.

SureShot

Another D/P

SureShot

I converted my 91NA to R134A & ran it a year before selling it.
It was a full "flush the oil" conversion.

My current 91 turbo is on freeze-12. For a year it has worked great.

Like they said above. Jumper the low pressure cut out switch breifly to see if the compressor clutch is OK & if it runs without making too much noise.

jhammons01

^ whats a D/P?? Dumb post???

jhammons01

I don't wanna get into with ya man. But if ya must I'm your Huckleberry.

I wouldn't mix r-12 with r-134. Actaully, CFC-12, a chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant, and HFC-134a, a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant, are not compatible. They must, under no circumstances be mixed..." so on and so forth. And considering freeze 12 is 4/5ths r-134a, i'd make damn sure there was no R-12 left in the system before using it.

Normally people recommend that 134a can be used instead of r12 for older systems. And provided that the system was vacuumed out properly and the proper lubricant used, then it wouldnt be a problem.

With the cost of r12 at about $100 for a 1 pound tank, its not feasible to recharge it with that, and there are risks of damage when replacing with a different refigerant. I just wanted to post that information to let people know that the majority of the replacement refirgerants are either HFC-134a or HFC-22 based.

Leaving the free chlorine in the system is what is corrosive. The chlorofluorocarbon never breaks down which is why it is bad for the ozone. The Hydroflourocarbon WILL breakdown and your system will need to be recharge every few years. The R-12 needs to be purged from the system first. The Oil will also be contaminated as well as the adsorber. You can spend $1500 on new parts are just fill it with new oil. Those of you with a leaky system will have no problem here. Just keep adding a can of R134A each month, insta purge. But in all seriousness, just purge your system and then refill with R134A.

jediknight7

ok, then how do i tell what kind of refrigerant i have? ive only owned the car for abou 6 months, just recently got the logicon to work at all, and the spotty service records that came with the car say nothign about the a/c refrigerant. if i do need to flush it, any idea how much it will cost?

inflatablepets

There will be diffrent sized fittings on the car if it has been converted. They are merely adapters. In any case, Make sure to do a full system flush and evacuation if you convert it. R-12 is illegal to obtain without a license FYI. Last time I knew prices they were $5.00 per oz of R-12. costing $60 for a 12 oz can. It could be higher now since that was a couple years ago. I got a can of it for 20 bucks last year. They didn't know how much it was worth.

inflatablepets

I am glad to see someone else is saying "Do it right" I have posted the samw info before. A search would be in order for the thread starter.